


pet store au

by totalsafety



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: AU, M/M, hershey is a chocolate lab v important i mean imagine adam with a chocolate lab, it goes exactly how you think it goes, pet store au, trainwreck adam trying to be suave and pick up ronan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 09:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4559016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totalsafety/pseuds/totalsafety
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronan is the tough guy behind the pet shop counter, and Adam just needs some gd dog biscuits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	pet store au

“Do you work here?”

“No,” Ronan starts. “I just put on the hideous apron for fun and like to stand behind the counter, right next to the register, too, because the air is better over here.” 

Adam’s eyes widen, scoffing at the other’s tone. “That’s fine. I’ll just find someone else to-"

“Tough shit. I’m the only one working today.”

“Right,” Adam exhales softly. “Of course you are. Do you have any more of the bacon biscuits then? There aren’t any left on the shelf, and it’s Hershey’s favorite.” 

“You named your dog Hershey?” 

“No,” Adam deadpans. “I call myself Hershey, and I love bacon dog biscuits because human bacon just doesn’t cut it.” 

“Touché,” Ronan yells, making Adam flinch with the sudden volume of his voice. At this, Ronan grins. Adam watches him open the door behind the counter, disappearing into the room beyond. Since he left the door open, Adam can see the shelves of inventory, scattered with mismatching sacks and cans. Soon, Ronan returns with five bags of biscuits. 

“Is this enough?”

“Yeah, that’s good. It’s kind of a mess back there though,” Adam says, nodding to the stock room. “How did you find five of them so quickly?”

He’s met with a deadly glare, and Adam swallows as Ronan’s jaw muscles shift. 

“I’m in charge of the stock room,” Ronan snarls. Without looking down, Ronan slides three of the bags towards himself. They fall on his side of the counter, out of Adam’s view. “Come to think of it, we only have two left.” 

“Oh, come on. I didn’t mean anything by it.” 

“Great. But we only have two bags. Do you want them or not?”

“Are you serious?”

Ronan doesn’t reply. Instead, he tilts his head to the side. He slowly brings his hand up again, moving it towards the remaining two bags. 

“No, don’t do that. Yes, I want them, Jesus.” 

Ronan turns to the register, violently jabbing at the buttons even though they look brand new. It takes unusually long to calculate the cost of two identical items, and Adam begins to say as much before Ronan beats him to it. 

“Do you live around here?” Ronan says casually. He carefully puts the biscuits into a paper bag with the pet store logo inked on the front. It’s so unexpected that it takes a moment for Adam to answer.

“No. I just moved.” 

“Where from?”

Adam clears his throat. “A small town, no one’s heard of it.” He surveys Ronan before asking him the same question. 

“8.47,” Ronan replies. 

“What?”

“I said, ‘8.47.’ That’s your total.” 

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Adam hands over the money to Ronan but doesn’t reach for the bagged treats. He shifts his weight, grabbing the edge of the counter. He’s smart enough to keep his body at the distance it is. “Do you, uh, work here everyday?”

“Are you planning on stalking me?” Ronan says, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Just a question,” Adam shrugs, taking his hand off the counter, hoping his embarrassment isn’t palpable. He watches Ronan scan him, eyes narrowed, and stands a little straighter.

“I don’t live around here,” Ronan finally says. “But it’s the closest pet store, and I won’t work anywhere else.” 

Adam wants to sigh in relief, but settles for a laugh that comes out a lot more nervous than he feels. “Gotta save up during summer, huh?”

“No.” Ronan stares at him, blinking once. “I don’t.” 

The response quickly erases any remnants of Adam’s laugh. He desperately looks out the window to the parking lot, searching for a new conversation piece. He latches on to the first car he sees. 

“Wow, that BMW out there. God, what a wreck, right?” His gaze flickers to Ronan, and what he sees makes him forget to hide his accent. He blurts out his next words quickly, a final effort to save face. “But it’s rugged, of course, totally-“

“Fuck, are you **_trying_** to get hit? That’s mine, shitface, Jesus, who do you think you are, coming into **_my store,_** insulting-“

“I am so sorry. It really is a nice car and-“

“ ** _Just. Get. Out._** ” 

Adam nods quickly, striding to the doors a few feet away. He turns around to offer another apology, and a paper bag hits him in the chest. 

“AND TAKE YOUR FUCKING DOG TREATS, GODDAMMIT.” 

Adam crouches to pick them up, fumbling once before they're secure in his hands. He heads straight for his car, mercifully parked out of view of the pet store and the BMW. Once inside, he cradles his head in his hands and sighs. _That could not have gone worse._

He straightens and opens the paper bag, looking for the receipt to catalogue for later. Reading over the information, his eyes catch on _cashier name: Ronan._ He doubts he’ll ever get the chance to say the name out loud, so he whispers it to himself in the silence of his car. It makes him feel a little better, so he says one more time before starting the car and driving home.


End file.
